April 2022
Following a successful trial in P5A and P5B of the Wraparound Spelling approach, we are now rolling out this approach to spelling in the rest of our P3-P7 classes.
The Wraparound Spelling approach follows a three year rolling programme of words. All children from P3-P7 will be introduced to the same focus sound and a list of root words on Mondays. Pupils will have 2 further dedicated spelling lessons during the week in which they grow and explore the words in a variety of ways suited to their age, ability and stage. At the end of each week we will assess progress and this will allow our pupils and staff to plan for next steps in learning.
This approach builds differentiation, revision, challenge, independent learning skills and discussion into the spelling experience and enables one list to be taught as a whole class rather than multiple groups. Differentiation is built in because children grow the words to their own level of complexity.
The spelling lists work systematically through the phoneme/grapheme chart. The lists have the root words in the left-hand column and then are ‘grown’ up to six times.
e.g. assist assisted assistant assisting unassisted
Children will use phonic knowledge to spell the root words in their Monday lesson. They will then work out how many more times the base word can be ‘grown’ before they see the word list. Some words cannot be grown six times, whilst others can be grown to a new meaning.
Class teachers may not focus on every word on the list each week. Teachers can decide from the weekly list which words and how many words are appropriate to their class and pupils. With this approach less can be more because the focus is on the quality of the learning and teaching input rather than quantity – children are stretching words and this means they are looking at each word in more detail.
For the weekly spelling assessment, pupils will be asked to spell the base words or, further up the school, some words that have been grown from the root and demonstrate understanding of the spelling rules. (eg doubling the consonant, dropping the e). Then children will be given 5 minutes to write words that can be grown from the base word or that use the week’s sound. These don’t need to be words from the list, as long as the base word/sound is present.
The term’s weekly spelling lists are available below and we would encourage you to support your child to include spelling practice as part of their weekly home learning. We would appreciate if you could work on the weekly list after it has been introduced on a Monday.
Stockbridge Primary School 